Whoa Nadine!

A Hey Arnold! Fanfic

by sorrowXdarkness

oooOOOooo

Chapter Two: Friend of a Friend

Today was a typical day for me as I arose from my slumber. Sleep kept pestering me as I shook my head several times in protest. I mustn't give into sleep, I told myself. Before leaving for school, I had to check on my eggs. They were already showing signs of hatching soon; mainly the eggs have begun to turn dark. With the end of today, it would mark the fifth day since the shift in hue. My excitement overshadowed my drowsiness. I knew this was a precious moment that I couldn't afford to miss.

The bedsheet was discarded as I made my way into the upstairs bathroom. Looking down, I couldn't help but smile. During my last week of summer, Rhonda and the girls surprised me with a gift. Granted, a belated birthday gift but that was because Rhonda had to leave suddenly to Europe with her family. And she forbade anyone minus my family to celebrate my birthday without her. I didn't mind, but upon her return she wasted no time in reaching out. She knew price was an issue because she could afford almost anything. It had to be relevant to me and somehow resonant well without flashing too many bills.

So when she presented me with a simple cardboard box, I was flabbergasted. I didn't expect that from her at all. Took me a minute to overcome my initial reaction as I slowly opened the box. And like a chest, I found treasure. A pack of four bamboo toothbrushes all nicely wrapped around bioplastic. The nylon fiber could be easily recycled as the rest were biodegradable. That really touched my heart, especially when I became a bit of an activist for the environment. This would amount to roughly a year worth of toothbrushes that assisted in my efforts to minimize my carbon footprint. No, I told myself. I should hurry along as I quickly brushed my teeth before fixing my hair. A couple of splashes to the face to really be awake and alert.

With a dry towel, I smiled at my reflection. Returning to my habitation, I got to work. My room felt small, but that was mainly due to the stuff I had around. Several projects completed and not quite finished at one corner forming a pile. My computer adjacent to it as it was accompanied by a printer. I mainly use the computer for research and printing out my notes. At the far end of my room, I had a large table for observation. Since acquiring those eggs, I had to shift around some stuff to accommodate them. My room was decorated with posters of the anatomy and several life stages of insects. An extensive ant farm was child's play with the amount I had in my collection. I have a majestic praying mantis staring me down and several classifications of cockroaches in their own observation container, just to name a few.

Performing my daily check ups, I noticed one of the four eggs was not as dark compared to the rest. Noting that down, I closed my logbook as I got dressed. I decided to go with turquoise clips instead of my usual magenta ones. My attire got an update due to my best friend's insistence. As part of her apology, Rhonda returned from Europe with souvenirs. They were mostly clothes she had a feeling I would wear. For today, I went with a black sweater and brown shorts. The sweater was a cardigan with peasant balloon sleeves with pom-pom knit pullover. Very soft as I wore that over my plain white shirt. The shorts Rhonda got me was a caramel suede shorts with side pockets.

"Nadine, breakfast is ready!"

"Coming, dad!"

Not wanting to keep my dad waiting, I quickly picked my brown boots. They were no Nancy Spumoni's boots but I sure liked them; both comfy and durable. Running down, I took a seat as my dad presented me my breakfast.

"Morning, sweetie. No luck today?" He asked, placing a bowl of soup in front of me. Being a former activist himself, he met plenty of interesting people from across mainly plains. And during his stay at one of their houses, he picked up a few things. One of them was a recipe for beans and bones; frijoles con hueso.

"Thank you, and no. But I'm sure they'll hatch soon. Did mom leave already?" My eyes briefly scanned the area.

My dad nodded. "You know your mother...quite serious when it comes to her cases."

"Yeah, I know." The beans were warm and hearty as I began my breakfast. "Just wish I could see her in the morning for once." As a RBT, she usually provided services at a center from 7:30-3:00.

Dad laughed as he agreed with me. We both didn't see mom enough due to her schedule. It was worse when her schedule changed at the last minute. Still, I was glad he was there for me when she wasn't. Being a volunteer gives my dad more flexibility with his schedule. It didn't pay the bills, but he does get to help people in a direct way. And at the end of the day, he comes home feeling like he made a difference.

Leaving the bones in the bowl, I bid farewell to him before running out. I got out and ran toward the nearest bus stop. It was in front of a local bookstore that a sweet couple owned.

"Nadine! Don't forget your bag!"

His voice shouted as I realized I left without my pouch. Returning, I gave a quick kiss before bolting, bag over shoulder. I had to be sure to reserve a seat for Rhonda. I was already a few minutes behind seeing the time on my wrist.

Spotting the sign, I noticed a group of people already forming as I dejectedly stood at the rear. No doubt, we would have to sit in the back with someone we didn't like. Rhonda was not going to like that. Making my way inside, I walked as I surveyed around. Looking for an empty spot for two. I paused as I saw Rhonda waving her hand at me.

"Nadine! Come sit by us." She exclaimed. She gestured to a spot beside her. What caught my eyes was the girl already sitting beside her. Her trademark braided pigtails and freckles below her eyes were dead giveaways along with her dress. They were already sharing a couple of giggles before Rhonda called out to me. This is a first, I thought.

"Oh, Lila is joining us?" I sat by the window as Rhonda explained what happened. Lila greeted me as I gave a simple morin' to her. Rhonda began her tale of how her father had to leave abruptly. Her mother was meeting with a potential investor leaving Rhonda to travel alone.

"There I was, helpless and not a clue in the world. And as I began to wonder on what to do, dear Lila..." Lila smiled when she saw Rhonda gesturing towards her. Probably appreciating the recognition, knowing her. "...came to me in my hour of need with her assistance before we walked to the bus stop... It took no more than a few minutes."

"Okay, well... I got your schedule for today." I took out my planner from my bag as I flipped the pages to this week. Rhonda spoke to me last night about wanting to go to the store to check out possible shoes for the dance. There was plenty of time before the event, but Rhonda insisted that part of it was to plan ahead. And she also had to return two books at our local library though she still had time before the due dates. And lastly, they had to go over some ideas for a party she was planning to have sometime before our first week off from school in December.

"Oh, wait Nadine!" Her hand stopped me from flipping the pages. "Let forget about that for now. Lila was just telling me she never had a mani-pedi at a salon before. This is an emergency, Nadine! What girl never had a mani pedi at nine years old. It's unheard of!"

Lila apologized before saying that there wasn't much of a need down where she was from because of how busy they were in the farm. She spoke about how Rhonda was willing to treat her, though only if there was a special or discounted price. Apparently, it would bother her too much if her friends were spending too much on her. Fortunately, Mrs. Charlene usually had a two for one special, revealed by Rhonda.

"It's almost like if I were to go by myself. Oh, and of course, you can come along. It wouldn't be the same without you." Her hand fell on my shoulder as I kept myself from frowning.

I knew she meant to reassure me, but I found myself not liking the idea. Lila was a nice girl and all. Maybe I was overthinking it. I mean, nothing would take our friendship away, right? And I knew I shouldn't feel threatened by Lila's intrusion. Shaking the idea away, I agreed with the abrupt change in our schedule. I swiftly crossed off Rhonda's original plan from my planner. In their place, was:

mani-pedi w/ Lila

It stretched across the time slots. It was only for the afternoon. With that in mind, I kept returning Lila's smile with an awkward one of my own. The rest of the bus ride was like this as the two girls talked about the trip to the salon later today. I, on the other hand, took a gander outside through the window.

oooOOOooo

Later in the day, Mr. Simmons presented the class with a joint project to be completed in a group of two. I walked towards Rhonda, thinking we would be partners like always. Arnold was going to be with Gerald. Phoebe with Helga. Stinky got Harold. Eugene with Sheena, etc. Instead, Lila was already sitting beside her with their desk pushed against each other.

"Oh, I'm sorry Nadine. I want to switch it up a bit. To really drill into Lila's head the essence of pampering oneself."

I reluctantly agreed with a sigh. No point disagreeing, I found myself without a partner. It seems like everyone got paired up with someone.

"Mr. Simmons, I don't have a partner." It was embarrassing to stand in front of the entire class to tell him that. The teacher was surprised, looking briefly at Rhonda. Yeah, I was surprised too.

"Oh, okay then. Let's see who doesn't have a partner." He went through each group before spotting someone. "Sid! You don't have a partner yet. Why don't you pair up with Nadine for this assignment?"

"Um, sure. I guess." Sid said. He and I found empty seats at the corner in the back. Even from there, I could see Rhonda without any obstruction blocking my view.

"Perfect!" Mr. Simmons said before he began going into depth of what he expected out of this project. I shifted my desk until it touched Sid's. "Okay, class! Today's project is coming up with two authors that are correspondent with each other yet separated by time." He emphasized time with his hands. "A clear example is William Shakespeare and Nicholas Spark. Both dwelling in the love and the obstacle that brought out that feeling into fruition."

He gave us time to come up with ideas as I redirected my attention to my new English partner. "Okay, Sid. I was thinking of going with something dark and mystic."

He pondered for a moment. "Like a witch?"

"Yes, something like that..."

I wrote some names as I heard laughter coming from both Rhonda and Lila. Sighing, I began the task on hand. Sid began by saying he had a book about a witch in his locker. I agreed to check it out with him before school ended as I tried to zone out the noise nearby.

At lunch, I took my tray to my usual spot. Expecting to see Rhonda waiting for me. Instead, I saw a pack of girls along with my friend laughing at something Lila said. And there was no empty space at that table; it was packed.

Lately, I was sighing a lot as I committed the same crime before looking where to sit. There was a spot by Gerald's and Arnold's table. They usually sit together much like Rhonda and I. I only hoped they didn't mind my presence.

"Hey, can I sit here?" It almost came out a bit dull as I cleared my throat afterwards.

They both reacted as I suspected; confused though Arnold was quick to reply.

"Sure, Nadine." He shifted his spot to open up some space for me. "Is Rhonda busy today?"

"Yeah, something like that." I didn't want to get into it as I began eating the school lunch. The boys seem to get the message as they continued with their conversation. Hearing their laughter from afar, I couldn't help but to look down at my tray.

Right now, I was getting salty. I wanted to blame the fish sticks, but the source of my frustration lied with Lila. She practically took my spot in the class and at lunch. I hoped things would be different later today. I really do, I thought. Throughout lunch, my eyes fell on Lila and how much she was making everyone especially Rhonda laughed.

oooOOOooo

As soon as school ended, I ran up to Rhonda. Thankfully, without Lila beside her for once.

"Oh. Right on time, Nadine!"

"So are we heading to the salon?" I began, getting myself ready to see Lila again.

"Well, I was thinking...maybe you should take the day off."

What did she say? "A day off?" I stopped walking, and Rhonda followed suit. She went further as my heart began to beat exponentially fast.

"Yeah. You know, use the time to go on that bug excursion you are so fond of. Oh I know, did you mention you were waiting for your eggs to hatch?"

I didn't get it. Where was this coming from? Rhonda wasn't usually this considerate before. Why start now? She kept going on as I was in deep thought until she spoke those lines.

"I never really noticed it before, but you don't really like being pampered. Do you?"

That may be true, but that wasn't the issue. However, right now I couldn't think straight.

"Is that what Lila said?"

Now it was Rhonda's turn to be confused. "What? No! What does she have to do with this?"

It bothered me how far she was going to protect Lila. I lost interest quickly as I turned away. "Well, okay. See you later... I guess." I didn't look back as I decided not to take the bus. Maybe a long walk would soothe this irritable feeling inside me. Because right now, I wanted to shout. Like some toddler not standing for it anymore. Or punch a pillow until it loses its fluff or until I get tired. I arrived at Vine Street near Mrs. Vitello's flower shop when a voice sprung out. The guy appeared out of nowhere from the alley. He resembled a bit like Wolfgang with the way he was built; big and brutish. Their huge hand reached out and stopped in front of my face.

"Give me your lunch money." It wasn't a question as he clearly held his hand out, making use of his towering body. The surprise and fear brought me out of my slump as I reached deep inside my pockets for the loose change.

"Hey!" Hearing a voice behind him, the bully began to walk forward. Pretending to be passing by as the newcomer stopped in front of me. "Finally! I was waiting a full five minutes." The boy held my hand and quickly dragged me further away from that bully. I didn't expect to get help with a bully from a bully.

"What are you doing, Wolfgang?"

"What do you think? Making sure no one else mess with my fourth grade wussies." He insisted before stopping in front of a cafe; BIGAL'S CAFE. By then, our hands were no longer linked. Once we returned to the general public, I felt safe enough to remember why I was alone. My thought returned to Lila and my staggering friendship with Rhonda.

"Here, take it." I slammed my money forcefully on his palm. "Enjoy your snack on me." I prepared to leave, but stopped. Something he said caught my ear. He gestured to take a seat inside and I found myself listening to his command once again. We sat across each other as he ordered two milkshakes; a chocolate and a vanilla. The money returned to my pocket as I tried to understand what he was up to. Once the milkshakes arrived, he placed both to the center.

"Choose one..."

"Huh?"

"Pick one now. Don't make me say it one more time."

I took the chocolate one since it was my favorite flavor. He then took the vanilla as we began enjoying the sweet beverage. It was honestly a bit awkward, but I was surprisingly impressed with the milkshake. I usually get one at Slausen's Ice-Cream Parlor.

"So, what's with the attitude?"

"Why do you care?"

"Just answer the question. I got you a milkshake, haven't I?"

"Wait, you're paying for this?" I asked, but got no response. Just silence as he waited for me. I sighed and explained my situation. With my issue with Lila and Rhonda and how I essentially became a third wheel. Rhonda telling me to take "the day off" really struck a chord.

I didn't realize I got another milkshake until I noticed the first cup beside my new one. All while Wolfgang still had his first one.

"So now I'm here...happy now?"

Thinking he would laugh at me for my 'poor of an excuse' story, I didn't expect him to really put some thought into it. "Look! You haven't realized it yet, but the problem is you."

"Me?!"

"Yes, you! The moment someone comes by and snatches up what's yours, you give up and let them. Doesn't your friendship with your friend matter to you?"

"Of course it does! We've been best friends for years!"

"Doesn't sound like it." He crossed his arms, looking disappointed.

"Look! Friendship isn't about monopolizing another person. I have seen the way you handle your "friends" like Edmund. That's not what friendship is about. It's about supporting each other and if Rhonda wants to be friends with Lila...then as her friend, I sh-" I stopped midway. "... I should have done the same thing. Not mope around and complain like a selfish brat." He must have found my face amusing by the grin he had on. "Thanks."

"So why are you still here?"

I was dumbfounded. The answer was in me all along. And it took Wolfgang playing the dark fiend advocate to help me realize that.

"Go!" He said as I left, only to return to finish my milkshake. All while leaving Wolfgang with the bill. He did say he was going to treat me, right?

No, there was more pressing matter to attend as I caught up to the girls. They were waiting for their turn at the salon. Entering, I surprised the girls with my appearance. Even though I sat by the sideline, I still wanted to talk to them. To get better acquainted with Lila and to ask if she would join me for my usual bug excursion at the park tomorrow.

"I would be delighted to join you! Rhonda?" Lila asked, shifting her attention to our raven hair friend.

"Hard pass... But then again, I wouldn't mind accompanying you two just to talk. I'm afraid I get bored easily on my own."

Typical Rhonda. I laughed, but I wasn't alone. Lila shared the same sentiment as we resumed chatting. Now with the excursion in motion, Lila brought up that she used to spend her summer finding cicada shells on tree barks back in her old town. Rhonda cringed as Lila and I laughed it off.

"I see your mood improved, Nadine." Rhonda said. "Just wish you were a bit more strict with yourself, you have a bit of chocolate mustache." She gestured above her lips.

"Oh yeah. It did." I wiped the mark away with my hand, much to Rhonda's dismay. All while thinking that I had to thank a certain fifth grader for the push.

-END OF CHAPTER TWO

Author's Notes:

So what did you think of the newest installment of 'Whoa Nadine!'? I'm currently only writing original plots though I make some references as I have already from the series in general. Let me know what you think, and I'll see you guys next time! -sorrowXdarkness